Find out how popular the first name Neymar has been for the last 14 years (from 2010 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Neymar by gender

Based on the last 14 years of data, Neymar is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Neymar being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 87 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Neymar.

The history of the first name Neymar

The name Neymar has its origins in the Portuguese language and is believed to have emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century. It is thought to be a combination of the name Ney, which is a shortened form of the Portuguese name Inácio, and the suffix "-mar," which is derived from the Latin word "mare," meaning "sea."

One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Neymar can be found in the writings of Brazilian author Monteiro Lobato, who created a character named Neymar in his children's book series "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo" (The Yellow Woodpecker Ranch), published in the 1920s. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until the mid-20th century.

Historically, the name Neymar has been relatively uncommon, and there are few well-known individuals from earlier times who bore this name. One notable exception is Neymar de Souza, a Brazilian footballer who played as a defender for various clubs in the 1940s and 1950s.

In more recent history, the name Neymar has become closely associated with the Brazilian football player Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, born in 1992, who is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation. His success and fame have undoubtedly contributed to the growing popularity of the name Neymar, particularly in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries.

Other notable individuals who have borne the name Neymar include Neymar Fernandes de Souza (1932-2022), a Brazilian actor and comedian; Neymar Gomes (born 1983), a Brazilian mixed martial artist; and Neymar Dias (born 1985), a Brazilian volleyball player.

While the name Neymar has its roots in Portuguese, it has also been adopted in various other cultures and languages, particularly in the context of sports and entertainment, where the influence of Brazilian football and culture has been significant.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Neymar was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Neymar, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!